SHORT SPICED ORANGE MEAD

Chocolate Mead (left - recipe soon)
and Spiced Orange Mead

Spiced Orange Mead by Deanna

Traditionally spiced mead is served warm (not boiling) to warm you up and enjoy the aroma! Or serve in a glass with ice, ginger ale, lemon slices and fresh mint. Short meads have a larger quantity of yeast and honey, in a smaller vessel (often 2-5L instead of 20L). As with all brewing, the longer they are left after the final bottling, the better - for clarity and mellowing the flavour.

   

APPROXIMATE ABV 8-10%

   

Ingredients:	Makes 2L	Makes 5L
warm water	900g	2250g
honey	680g	1700g
wine yeast	1/2 teaspoon	1 1/4 teaspoon
whole orange, chopped	125g	300g
organic raisins (rinsed)	12g	30g
cinnamon stick	1	3
nutmeg, ground	pinch	1/4 teaspoon
allspice, ground	pinch	1/4 teaspoon
cloves, whole (optional)	1	1-2

      
Method:

1. Sterilise fermenting vessel (FV) and equipment.
2. Place water and honey into FV. Stir to dissolve. Cool to 20°C. 
3. Record sugar level using a hydrometer.
4. Remove 1C liquid into a clean jar. Add yeast, rehydrate for 30 seconds then add lid and shake well. Loosen lid and leave in a warm place (room temperature) until yeast is activated (frothy).
5. Pour activated yeast back into must. Mix well.
6. Add remaining ingredients into FV. Mix well.
7. Attach airlock to FV. 
8. Ferment for 4 weeks.
9. Serve (optional) - will be cloudy at this stage.
10. Rack into a secondary (sterilised) FV or bottles (sterilised), and mature for a further 4-8 weeks.
11. Before final racking, test sugar level using a hydrometer to determine final ABV.
12. Rack into bottles (if applicable). Seal, label and store in a cool, dark and dry place. Age further if desired to get clearer mead. Mead can be aged for 6- 12 months.

     
Notes:

• Fermenting vessel can be 2L juice bottles (with airlocks attached) but ideally glass such as a those pictured below, or glass jars with airlocks attached;
• Honey variety: try using your favourite local honey - if unsure, a wildflower variety is good for beginning;
• Ensure everything is sterile - if unsure, clean again!
• The mead is finished when there are no more bubbles;
• Racking into bottles - use plastic bottles (i.e. soda bottles) when beginning to brew, in case there is sugar still present and they carbonate if bottled too early;
• Mead can be stored at room temperature until opened - then store in the refrigerator.